Elliot Rodger’s premeditated rampage of carnage in Isla Vista, Calif., wherein he killed six people before finally taking his own life, has reignited the flames of the gun-control debate in our country, which has never really died out but, instead, lie under smoldering coals of apathy until something else happens that stirs the national consciousness.

Richard Martinez, the grief-stricken father of Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, one of Rodger’s victims, pleaded for the madness to come to an end.

I received several calls in response to my recent column about depression.

There aren’t any classes scheduled now but I am available to speak to your group. I think it’s more effective to meet with small groups (8-12 people) that usually know each other instead of larger groups.

Call the Anderson County Extension Office at 502.839.7271 to schedule a program on one or more aspects of depression or contact me at joan.martin@uky.edu.

Spring is here and the garden centers are filled with beautiful plants.

Many of us are making our way to one or more of our favorite garden shops. We leave with a car full of beautiful flowers and healthy vegetables with hopes of a bountiful harvest.

But before that first plant goes into the ground, make sure your soil is properly prepared. Though not the most glamorous part of gardening, it is the first and most important step in creating a beautiful and productive garden.

Altosid (methoprene) and Rabon (tetrachlorvinophos) are insecticides that are available as minerals or feed supplements for beef and dairy cattle fly control.

These oral larvicides are consumed and pass through the animal’s manure at concentrations that kill fly maggots. With this approach, the only sources of horn flies and face flies in pastures are treated.

There are some important things to keep in mind when using this approach.

Ideas are not formed in a vacuum. Every book we read, every song we hear, every thought we think has been influenced by someone else.

For example, a parent’s influence on their children has been formed by how they themselves were raised, which itself was a product of their own parent’s upbringing.

Conversely, young people looking for a sense of belonging often will adopt the style and values of their peers rather than their parents, especially if the value system they see in their parents is not consistently, although imperfectly, lived out.

Currently, Anderson County accepts Type #1 and Type #2 plastics at the recycling trailers located throughout the county. Let’s take a closer look at what this means, how the recycling process works and what products are made from this material.

What this means

Plastics #1 and #2 are the most common type of plastic used for containers. They are identified by a number stamped inside a triangle, usually on the bottom side of the container.